The popularity of social media usually explained as the need for easy communication, which can be provided to different people from diverse parts of the world at the same time. Digital firms presented their chat services as a convenient way of messaging, while Mibbit is one of the most underestimated chat services that exist in current times. Let’s look at this product.
Why Mibbit?
This service provides several advantages compared to even more popular opponents, which can be presented as follows:
- Everyone already has it onboard. Among the primary benefits that Mibbit offers to clients is that users’ browsers have this chat as an in-built function. As the user interface is written on Javascript, no one needs to install a specific application or additional software. This web-based client is available for those who use Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Opera, Internet Explorer, and even iOS-based browsers.
- Reliability. As the considered service supports Internet Relay Chat (IRC), it gives additional benefits to users of this software. IRC is a specific protocol that is used on every software with access to the internet and provides a reliable but straightforward connection on a client-server basis. In simple words, this approach allows connecting to other chats with this widely used protocol.
- Familiar with Google. Maybe, this item should be mentioned first as opens wider opportunities to users who see the famous worldwide name. In terms of usability, clients of Mibbit can simply use Google-related products. For instance, Youtube videos can be simply shared and viewed; Maps application can be easily opened in a needed place, while speakers from different countries can use Translate feature without changing a tab.
- Simple usage, no registration. The existence of Mibbit on your device is facilitated by no need for registration and other annoying processes. One can just open the needed tab, enter a nickname, type the group of interest, and join a conversation – no extra responsibility. Even though the interface of this messenger is rather simplified and lacks numerous modern opportunities like sharing or hashtags, the ability to type messages and attach smiles can be enough for many users.
- Other technical features. As it was mentioned in the second item, Mibbit uses IRC, which means the ability to expand conversations to other platforms using Internet Relay Chat technology. Also, additional opportunities come with an inbuilt proxy that helps to deny and overcome some blocks. However, precisely that aspect led to one of the negative sides, which will be explained below.
Where is the problem?
After reading the list of advantages, one can ask the logical question: if Mibbit is such an interesting product, why it is not widely used, and why its popularity continuously decreases? The answer to this question is rather complicated and can be grouped into several items:
- Too simple design. As the digital world is rapidly moving towards better interface and user experience, Mibbit looks like the software from the previous century. Simple design with a limited range of bright colors, which is facilitated by a lack of interface settings to improve it, restricts the development of the product.
- Restricted opportunities. Even though the technical side is quite broad and even includes interesting protection features, people cannot use this chat service to be more involved in global life. Rather closed communities are not sharing any interesting info even among each other, nothing to say about the wider audience. Probably, this problem is the result of the previous passage as a number of users declines while the design is too poor.
- Had several bans and blocks. As it was written in the fifth item of benefits, an inbuilt IRC proxy allows overcoming many protections and restrictions. However, many IRC networks decided to restrict access of Mibbit to their ones to avoid abuse, but now it is not a problem.